Burnout is a “psychological syndrome ” directly associated with the professional world. It is then considered to be the body’s response to a state of chronic stress at work, the personal, social, or family consequences of which are well known. French scientists have taken a closer look at the risk of insomnia caused by burnout.
Burn-out: the disease of an overly stressful job…
With the prevalence (number of people affected by a given pathology), of psychological suffering at work, increasing over time, Burnout is a problem that our current society must face.
Burnout is defined in three dimensions:
- emotional exhaustion, the feeling of being completely overwhelmed and having exhausted all of one’s emotional resources;
- depersonalization, characterized by the development of a cynical state, by negative thoughts about oneself for example;
- the reduction of personal accomplishments, or the feeling of incompetence at work.
This psychological syndrome is directly and/or indirectly associated with organizational and individual factors. It is also described as being the result of activities at work, which are too intense and/or too stressful.
Some studies then put forward the hypothesis that burnout was the cause of the increase in cardiovascular risk, and therefore an increased risk of mortality.
Originally, Burnout was described as part of an activity requiring customer relations. Nevertheless, this syndrome now extends to all types of professions.
Burn-out and insomnia, a demonstrated link
A team of French researchers then looked into the potential link between stress at work, burn-out, and the risk of insomnia. The data obtained concerning the quality of sleep of people affected by Burnout show a higher-than-normal state of excitement during their sleep. A greater fragmentation in nocturnal sleep duration, more frequent awake times, reduced sleep efficiency, and faster eye movements are also observed.
The study took place over two years (from 2012 to 2014). The analysis was based on a questionnaire allowing the measurement of burn-out, the level of demands and stress in the work activity, depressive and anxious symptoms as well as sleep disturbances. A medical examination (annual visit with occupational medicine) was also carried out. Thus, nearly 1,502 individuals were included in this study. The prevalence of burnout measured was 10.2%.
Finally, insomnia appears to be one of the most relevant signs of a state of chronic stress. In this sense, the scientists suggest focusing more prevention on the risk of insomnia in the context of the prevention of Psycho-Social Risks (PSR) in the workplace. In addition, they specify that individuals declaring a burn-out have a greater risk of developing certain mental disorders such as hallucinations, personality, and behavioral disorders, for example.